Of You
by Etcetera Kit
Summary: A series of challenge fics following a developing relationship between Sky and Syd. These are done for Ars Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes.
1. Dare

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**Author's Note:** Hey all! Well, I've decided to go ahead and do it - post my themed challenges that is. This is in response to the general challenge from _Ars Armatoria's Ranger Romance Themes_. Excellent idea - wish I had thought of it! lol At any rate, these are Sky/Syd-centric. They will follow the developing relationship rather than being stand-alone. These are also much shorter than my normal chapter length. Why Sky/Syd you might ask as opposed to the dozens of other couples in my pieces? They just have so much explosive chemistry and so much of it has yet to be explored! With that said, enjoy!

PS - This themed series is called 'Of You' for a good reason. lol That is the title of a Monkees' song that (in my opinion) represents some of the aspects of this well.

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**OF YOU**

By Etcetera Kit

_2 - Dare_

"I dare you!"

Her mouth worked up and down like a fish out of water desperately seeking air. It was entirely _unthinkable_. There was no way that she could do _that_. So what if it was the annual Halloween dance? That didn't give her a license to do certain things. Besides, _he_ would absolutely _freak_ if she did it!

"I'll give you five bucks!"

That stopped her dead in her tracks. A wry smile cracked her face. She didn't need money – her parents were loaded. But that didn't stop the enticement of earning some fast cash off of a person who loudly and exuberantly complained about her lack of funds. Five bucks? She shook her head. Not for something like this… the ante would have to be upped. It wasn't worth a month's worth of not being able to look him in the eye and blushing when he came in the room.

"Okay, fine. Fifty bucks!" Her companion paused. "Come on, Syd. That's the best offer you're going to get because that's all I have."

Syd nodded at Z and leaned back in her chair at the small table in a corner where they had set up court. Now for a cool fifty bucks – she would definitely consider it. Her confident azure gaze scanned the lounge. It was packed to exploding with cadets in Halloween costumes, not to mention the loud, pounding music, dim light and disco ball and smoke machine. Cadets gyrated wildly on the dance floor and people mingled in groups over cups of punch and cookies. Games were along the back near the door including a cake walk and bobbing for apples tub.

He was in the back, helping monitor the games with Bridge, Jack and Boom. Unconsciously, she licked her lips, taking in his costume. It was obvious that he didn't buy it from the local Party City like the rest of them. In fact, she wouldn't have even called it was costume. It was a period piece. He had on a white peasant shirt with the large sleeves and ruffles, opened enough at the front to provide a tantalizing view of his chest. The pants were fitted – extremely well fitted – and came to his knee. Boots met the hem of the pants and a large plumed hat and vest finished the clothing. A Musketeer sword was at his side.

The three B-Squad males had gone as the Three Musketeers, but, somehow, the costume didn't look as good on Bridge and Jack as it did on him. She glanced at her own costume – as an angel with a short white dress, white fishnets, stilettos, wings and a halo. His jaw had already dropped once when he first saw her tonight. It wouldn't be a problem getting him on the dance floor.

"Deal," Syd replied leaning in towards Z so that she could be absolutely sure that no one would overhear them. "Get the DJ to put on some decent dance music."

The Yellow Ranger grinned and got up, making her way through the pulsating crowd to the DJ who was dancing along to the music. Syd watched as Z leaned forward, emphasizing the cleavage that her black cat costume showed. The DJ began to fumble around for some new mini-discs as Z moved back to their table for a front row seat.

Syd sashayed across the room to the games. He was leaning against the back wall, watching Bridge direct the cake walk. His arms were crossed over his chest and his hat was pulled down over his eyes. She planted herself directly in front of him. He stood up straight quickly, pushing his hat back. _This is going to be great,_ she thought.

"Sky!" she called over the music. "Want to dance?"

His reply was nonsensical – she didn't bother trying to decode it, she just grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the dance floor. The song was loud and had a strong beat. Perfect… She threw herself into the dance, making sure that she emphasized hip movement. His blue-gray eyes were drawn to her short skirt and the fact that the stilettos drew attention to her legs. He swallowed.

She ignored his obvious physical reaction to dancing with her. After a few moments of dancing, she knew that he hadn't been aware of what she had really been doing – and without giving anyone a free show. Syd reached up and pulled off his hat, throwing it away from the dance floor. It didn't matter where the hat landed – he would find it before he had to return the costume to the rental place.

In a similar motion to that of taking his hat off, she reached up, her hands going around his head and depositing a hot pink thong around his neck. It took him a moment to realize what she had just done, but she was already gone, racing to the back to the room to where Z was waiting with all their things.

They didn't stop running until they got back to their room and the door was safely shut and locked behind them. Z collapsed onto her bed in a fit of laughter. Syd carefully composed herself into her desk chair.

"That was great!" Z howled. "The look on his face! I just wish we had a picture!"

Syd grinned. She would be mortified tomorrow, but right now she still felt the adrenaline high from actually going through with it. "I think I can confidently say that this will be the only time in my life I lost my underwear without being drunk," she replied daintily.

Z was still laughing, tears running down her cheeks.

She pinned her roommate with a glare. "Where's my fifty bucks?"

_ To Be Continued..._


	2. Reaction

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**OF YOU**

By Etcetera Kit

_33 - Reaction_

There was just something about Thursdays – something that was foreboding and made it seem like everything was going to go wrong. She had gotten lucky. After the party on Saturday night, he hadn't said anything, hadn't acted unusual. The B-Squad had gone about their normal duties without much mishap. She had just been lucky not to end up on duty with him at any point in time. Now… she had night shift with him.

She and Z sat in the command center after dinner. The Yellow Ranger had some work to catch up on. Night shift started in exactly six minutes and twenty-three seconds… twenty-two seconds… twenty-one seconds… There was no chance that he would be late and there was no chance that anyone would switch with her.

"Please?" she begged. "I'll take two of your shifts!"

"No, Syd. You can't avoid him forever."

"I'm not avoiding him," she grumbled. "I just don't want to end up in an inevitable conversation about my underwear with him."

"Just be glad it was cute underwear," Z replied, tapping the controls at her consol. "At least it wasn't granny panties."

"I don't own granny panties."

"_That's_ not surprising."

The doors to the command center slid open. He came in and took a seat at one of the consoles. Syd stared at him. He was five minutes and nineteen seconds early. He just took away five of the minutes she had planned on using to come up with something to say to him. But he just brought up the security feeds, acting perfectly unaffected, nonchalant.

"Well," Z said, standing up. "I'm going. Night, Syd… Sky."

"Night," Sky replied.

"Night," Syd echoed, her terror increasing as Z left the room. How could she leave Syd alone with Sky? What kind of a friend was she? She had put her thong around Sky's neck in the middle of the dance floor! That was not the type of thing one did to start a relationship with someone. Conversations, sure, but a relationship?

Whoa – backtrack! Did she just admit internally that she wanted a relationship with Sky? That, in and of itself, was ridiculous. He was _Sky_. There was no other way to describe him. He was the SPD Handbook monitor. He lectured lower level cadets. He lectured _them_. The silence had become oppressive. Was he going to say anything or was he just going to sit there and stare at the security feeds all night? Any other normal male would definitely have had something to say to the girl was put her underwear around his neck! In fact, any other normal male would have confronted her about it much sooner than this.

There was no reaction here!

Syd slumped in her chair – half the fun of taking the dare had been the internal scenarios about his reaction to it. No reaction was worse than all the other reactions she had anticipated.

"You have cute underwear."

She blinked and turned to him slowly. He was still staring at the security feeds. The minute her gaze landed on him, he looked up, moving ever so slowly and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. It wasn't his normal smile. He looked like a dork when he smiled normally. This smile was sly, smug and almost _challenging_.

"Thank you," she replied primly, sitting up straight and focusing her attention back on her console. Who was this man sitting next to her and what had he done with the real Schuyler Tate?

His shoulders shook ever so slightly. She swung around to face him. "Are you laughing at me?" she accused.

"No. I'm just a little surprised that you took that dare."

"How did you find out it was a dare?" Great – don't even try to deny the fact that she got fifty bucks off of Z for doing it.

"Bridge," he replied with a shrug.

"And what of it?"

"Nothing – I just thought you might like your underwear back."

He reached into the pocket of his uniform jacket and pulled out her underwear. It was obvious that he had washed the hot pink thong and folded it as neatly as a thong could be folded. Her jaw dropped. Not only had he kept her underwear, but he had washed them and was giving them back to her. It didn't make sense!

Almost in slow motion, his hand extended. She reached out and met him halfway, their fingers and palms brushing as he deposited the thong in her hand. Wrapping a tight fist around her underwear, she shoved them as quickly as she dared into the pocket in her uniform top.

"Cadets!"

She looked up to see Commander Cruger standing across the main console from them. How long had he been there? How much had he heard?

"As interesting as Cadet Drew's unmentionables may be, don't you have work to do?"

Blushing hotly, she studied the security feeds as Cruger moved to his desk. She gave Sky a sidelong glance. He was bringing up his profiling files – he wasn't blushing or looking even the least bit ashamed that Cruger heard their whole exchange. He still had no reaction.

Damn him!

_ To Be Continued..._

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**Author's Note: **Okay, so I posted the second one too because these are so short! lol. 


	3. Worst Case Scenario

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**OF YOU**

By Etcetera Kit

_Worst-Case Scenario_

The worst-case scenario would be that Cruger saw him give her the underwear. Well – that had happened. What would be the next worst-case scenario? Getting a hard-on in the command center and then having to go into battle – morphed? Hopefully _that_ wouldn't happen anytime in the near future.

He tried to concentrate on what he was doing, but it was to no avail. He kept shooting her glances when no one else was looking their direction. Her blonde hair spilled over her shoulders in waves and concealed her expression. Her fingers flew over the keyboard.

She looked up and her azure gaze met his. It was like something out of the movies. A tiny smile quirked her lips as she made a show of standing up and stretching. Kat was now in the command center as well – monitoring the energy readings.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom," she announced.

Kat turned towards them. "You don't have to announce it, Syd," she said. "Just go."

Syd turned to him and winked, before she sauntered out of the command center. He stared after her for a moment, the implications dawning on him. First she was decorating him with her underwear and now she wanted him to take a "bathroom" break with her? For some reason, this was starting to seem like "bad girl seduces good boy" or something along those lines… and it was irresistible.

"Kat," he said after pausing for a heartbeat. "Can you watch this for me? I'm going to get some water."

"Sure, Sky," she replied.

He stood up, fully intent on _actually_ going to get a bottle of water. The halls were empty and silent at this time of the night. He strode towards the lounge, not wanting to fall into Syd's bait, but wanting it so desperately.

Someone grabbed his uniform jacket and pulled him into an alcove off the main corridor. He only had time to register that it was Syd before her lips were pressed against his, her hands resting on the back of his neck. Electricity was in that first touch and he knew that he didn't want this to be the last time this situation occurred. Her lips were warm and soft. Reluctantly, he broke the initial kiss.

"We should get back," he said breathlessly.

"We should…" she replied in a musing tone of voice, her full lips turning downward into a pout. He hated that expression – it made him want to agree to anything.

"But no one will miss us for a few more minutes."

His arms went around her waist, pulling her close so that their bodies were touching. Catching her open-mouthed, he started a deep kiss that could continue forever as far as he was concerned. That kiss was pure fire – and he felt it all over.

He wasn't sure how they got back to the command center, but they walked back in. Kat gave him a strange look. "I thought you went to get water," she commented.

He felt a high flush in his cheeks. Shit! He couldn't even follow through on the excuse to make it sound convincing. Kat was smiling.

"I'm going to turn in," she told them. "Good night!" She left the command center.

Syd glanced at him. He returned the glance, trying to act as unaffected as he had earlier. Against his will, Sky grinned. Syd returned the smile and, after a moment's hesitation, pushed against his shoulders, forcing him to the ground. God – night shift had to be the best assignment ever, seeing as the command center was empty!

She was straddling his waist, her unbound hair tickling his face. Her hands rested lightly on his shoulders – his hands on her waist. "I like night shift." Her voice was smoky, sultry, unlike anything he had ever heard Syd say, but it was all the more sexy. He ventured a glance over her body – her soft, rounded facial features to her small, yet firm breasts to her flat stomach and hips curved in all the right places.

Was it bad that he wanted to ignore his brain and have passionate sex in the middle of the command center?

She leaned down and kissed him, her chest pressed against his. This was against all regulations in the handbook, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that he could stay here, with Syd on top of him, making out like there was no tomorrow.

"Cadets!"

Abruptly, they broke the kiss. Syd glanced up. Cruger was standing in the door to the command center, looking straight at them. This had to look bad – he was lying sprawled on the floor with Syd on top of him.

"Need I remind you that you are still on duty? I would suggest postponing what you seem to want to do until after this shift ends."

Syd stood up and he followed, both of them sitting down at their consoles. He hazarded a look at Syd when Cruger's back was turned. She grinned.

Well – this was a new worst-case scenario and, strangely, he found that it didn't bother him.

_ To Be Continued..._

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**Author's Note: **So I had a brilliant idea last night when I was on another one of my infamous _Lost Galaxy_ tears. It occurred to me that I have characters from _Lost Galaxy_ in just about every piece I've written (with the exception of some shorter pieces.) Then I remembered that I have all of _Lost Galaxy_ on VCD - and I said to myself, "Hey! Why not do a themed challenge about a LG couple?" With that said, I definitely plan on posting it, but not for a while - I need to come to a stopping point in this series first. TTFN! 


	4. Patience

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**OF YOU**

By Etcetera Kit

_Patience_

It's official. I hate Syd.

All right, perhaps _hate_ isn't the correct word. As much as I am loathed to admit it even to myself, I'm extremely uncomfortable around her. Each time I see her – or even when I just think about her – everything goes back to that night shift in the command center when we ended up making out on the floor. That also has potentially ridicule-inducing physical ramifications.

"Stop brooding."

I glare at Bridge who's sitting on his bed, reading a comic book. I know that he's picked up on the cause of my recent distress – rooming with a psychic spells death to keeping secrets and having a private life.

"You just have to be patient."

Patience – hell – I want to kill somebody. I flop down on my bed, burying my face in my pillow, trying to no avail to block out the images that bombard me. This is ridiculous. I see Syd during that car wash over the summer in a hot pink bikini. I see her leaving for a night out with Z in a short denim skirt. I see her wrapped in nothing but a fluffy pink towel, stepping out of the shower just as I had ventured into the room to give her a memo. But most of all, I see her in that angel costume – the white dress gathered at the bust, her shapely legs defined by thigh-high fishnets and stilettos. Her hair had been loose around her face, the white, feathered halo sitting on top of those golden curls.

I see the wicked smile she gave me just before depositing her thong around my neck.

Groaning, I sit up to see Bridge grinning like a Chester cat. "What?" I snap, already annoyed that he knew about all the Syd incidents.

"Just admit it – you like her."

"I do NOT like her!"

"Sky, you, of all people, wouldn't make out on the floor of the command center with someone that you don't like at least a little." Bridge pauses. "But then again, you might. I mean if the girl was kind of pretty and came onto you like Syd did—"

"I get the point," I interrupt. "I wouldn't do that with just anyone."

"You wouldn't have done it at all."

"Which part? The making out or the fact that it was in the command center?"

"Both. Or neither. Or – what was the question?"

"Never mind." I stand up and go to the window. Some cadets are running around the grounds in a frenzied Frisbee game, probably trying to get one last game in before it got too cold to play anymore. The weather was unusually mild for early November.

"I think that you should get her back, just so the playing field will be even again. I mean because she's instigated all the things that have you hot and bothered and—"

"Like what?"

"I don't know – a little S & M routine?"

"I cannot believe that just came out of your mouth!"

Bridge shrugs. "Patience. We'll come up with something."

"Who's 'we'?"

"Well – Syd went into the initial dare with Z. I think it's fair that you have a lieutenant in the field of getting Syd back."

I shake my head, fighting a smile. I don't know what Bridge will come up, mostly because I can't think of anything equal to what Syd did to me. But I hope that it will be something good. I just have to be patient.

_ To Be Continued..._


	5. Game

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**OF YOU**

By Etcetera Kit

_Game_

And to think – all of this started with a game. It seems like its been hours since Sky first asked, _ anyone up for a rousing game of Monopoly?_ Now, it's all I can do to stay awake as we make the endless cycles around the board, paying pittance rents and collecting our pittances in return. I don't like the entire situation.

First of all, we're in Sky and Bridge's room. Game nights normally took place in the lounge where nothing untoward happened because lower level cadets who like to gossip frequented that room. Usually, being in their room wouldn't bother me, but there's something about being so close to Sky's things… I glance to his dresser, like his underwear. I can smell his aftershave, see his pajamas folded on the corner of his bed – his uniform folded on his desk chair…

Jack makes a huge show out of rolling the dice and lands in jail – again. It almost seems prophetic since he has spent most of the game in jail, instead of out of jail. I glance to Bridge as he takes the dice to take his turn. _He_ is wearing his pajamas. Sky, on the other hand…

I swear that he planned this. He is wearing a white button-up shirt that is completely unbuttoned along with fitted jeans. The jeans looked comfortable but emphasized all the right places to have girls falling all over him. He was barefoot and his hair looked just a little disheveled – like he had just gotten out of bed after having sex…

Oh my God…

It's his turn. He has Marvin Gardens and Atlantic Avenue. I have Ventnor Avenue. He's been trying to get the final yellow property from me for his past three turns. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that he planned that too. We made a rule before beginning that all bartering has to be done before the player rolls the dice.

I watch as he picks up Boardwalk – I have Park Place. I know what's coming.

"Syd," he says slowly. "I'll give you Boardwalk for Ventnor Avenue." I notice that this time he doesn't want any monetary compensation for the difference in price between the two properties. Not trusting myself to speak, I shake my head.

"What do you want for it?"

"I don't know," I squeak. Isn't it enough that I can see his chest – smooth, tan skin over hard muscle – and all I want to do is tear that shirt off of him?

"Give it up, Sky," Jack says, oblivious to the tension in the room. "She's not going to trade unless you pry it from her cold, dead fingers."

He stares at me, his blue-gray eyes boring into me. He wants me to cave and give him Ventnor Avenue. This is all just a game to him! Feeling bolstered and more defiant to the way he's been playing me all evening, I take Ventnor Avenue and place it in my bra. The property card is in no way comfortable, but I just want to see what he does now.

And he does nothing, just raises an eyebrow and takes his turn. Z takes her turn and has no luck bartering with Bridge for St. James Place. It's my turn. I meet Sky's gaze – we're sitting across the board from each other.

"You can have Ventnor Avenue," I say. "If you come and get it."

If this is a game, then I've just made my move. His expression remains neutral, but I can see him seriously thinking about it.

Without warning, he leans across the board, upsetting a pile of chance cards and flinging Z's houses on the purple properties all over. I'm not sure what happened next, but he's kissing me with intensity unknown in our previous encounters. His hands are at my sides, working their way up towards my bra. Someone makes a noise of disgust, but I can't hear anything except the rushing in my ears. His fingers, warm and soft, make their way across my collarbone and, with even less warning than the kiss, he reaches into my bra and pulls the property card out. It only lasted a second, but my skin tingles from where his fingers were.

Abruptly, he breaks the kiss and goes back to his spot, nonchalantly fixing the chance cards and Z's houses.

"If you guys wanted to be alone, all you had to do was say something," Jack whines.

Not sure what to feel, I glance at his properties, neatly lined up by color order around the board in front of him. I want Boardwalk after he's put me through all this. But, as I reach across, I realize that the royal blue property is nowhere to be found.

"It's in his pocket," Bridge prompts.

"Which pocket?" Z comments casually.

I don't know – I don't care. He's made his move and I want Boardwalk. Staring at him, I jump over the board into his lap, pushing him on his back and upsetting more of the board than he did.

"Wha—?" Someone asks.

I'm beyond caring what the others think. Sky has been so egotistical and arrogant with this whole game and I am going to get what I want. I reach into his front pockets, ignoring his obvious physical reaction to what I'm doing. The property isn't there. Growling, I reach between the floor and his rear end, slipping my hands into his back pockets. Bingo – I pull out the card and settle down on my spot across the board.

The game is a moot point by now. I've sent the chance and community cards flying, along with all the houses and people's markers. Not to mention, Z's money and mine are mixed up and Jack's money is in the far reaches of the room.

"Well – that went well," Jack comments. He stands up. "I think I'll go to the lounge for something to eat. Anyone want to come with?"

Z and Bridge volunteer immediately.

I glance around the room, now strewn with Monopoly pieces.

Sky's staring at me – his eyes are amused and a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. He looks kind of sexy lying there amongst the Monopoly money.

Checkmate…

_ To Be Continued..._


	6. Color: Syd

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**Author's Note:** And from here we wind down from the madness - I don't know how much longer this will go on. (I have two more completed and might do a few more to give this a sense of closure.) Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed!

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**OF YOU**

By Etcetera Kit

_Color - Syd_

Syd sat in the middle of her bed, pajama-clad and hugging Peanuts to her chest. No one was in the dorms right now. The first snow of this winter was falling in gentle flakes outside and no one wanted to miss it. Snatches of joyful snowball fights floated to her ears. If she had felt better, she would have gone out there with them – Z and Bridge had begged her to come. Perhaps she should have gone, then she wouldn't be alone with her thoughts.

It had been a week since that disastrous Monopoly game – two weeks since the Halloween dance party. Sky hadn't said anything – he just went about his business as usual. That was the most frustrating part of all. He acted so _unaffected_ by all of this that she wondered if she had imagined the sexual tension between them. They had kissed for crying out loud! She would never have expected Sky to ignore something like that. He was too traditional to run around kissing people casually.

She closed her eyes – immediately, she pictured his face. This time, it didn't make her angry. She just imagined the face she had seen for so many years, but never really taken in. She knew it by heart – knew how soft his lips were, how he actually had dimples when he chose to smile properly, how he looked down when he was embarrassed or didn't agree with what was going on…

But it was his eyes that fascinated her. She had never noticed them before. Oh – she had been aware he had blue eyes, but the fact that they seemed gray most of the time had escaped her. There was enough blue there for people to assume it, but he had eyes like the sea after a storm – so troubled, yet so peaceful, knowing the storm was over. Then it occurred to her – he had mood stone eyes.

His eyes tended to be grayer when he went about his normal routine. It was appropriate given the bleak neutrality that followed them on slow days. Gray was his neutral color. But strong emotions seemed to push his eyes towards blue. When he dumped water on her head, when he relived the memory of losing his father, when he was goading her during that Monopoly game… Strong emotions brought out the blue in his eyes.

And his eyes weren't the normal blue that people thought of when they thought of blue eyes. The blue was light, but just as vibrant and warm as any other color. It made her think of cozy nights, sitting by a fire, curled up in a favorite, old bathrobe. The bathrobe, once a bright shade of blue, would have faded to that color with time and love. The blue and the gray seemed interchangeable, which would be why no one noticed the changing color.

The knock on the door brought her from her reverie. "Come in!" she called.

The doors slid open to revel Sky standing there – the last person she expected. A part of her had expected Z and Bridge to send Jack to do more wheedling concerning playing in the snow. He was still in his uniform and he was holding two steaming mugs. The heavenly smell of hot chocolate hit her nostrils.

"Hey," he said softly. There was no trace of the arrogance that had accompanied all their previous encounters. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," she replied softly.

He stepped into the room, looking unsure. "I thought you might like some hot chocolate." It was a peace offering.

Syd smiled softly at him. "Thanks. That's nice of you." She scooted towards her pillow so that Sky could sit down on the bed next to her. He handed her the mug, but didn't make a move to sit. "Sit down," she said.

Sky moved to sit, but she noticed he was putting a lot of unnecessary space between them. Her heart jumped to her throat. They hadn't talked about their feelings – just egged each other on. Was he going to put an early stake through anything they might have? Or was he going to say something she wanted to hear?

He cleared his throat. "Look," he said, looking down at his hands. "I'm sorry." He paused and took a deep breath. "For everything."

"Sky," Syd said, setting her hot chocolate on her nightstand. "You shouldn't apologize. I'm the one that started it. I'm sorry for starting this whole thing."

"I'm just as guilty," he replied. "I kept it going."

"So we're both stubborn and let our egos get the best of us?"

He nodded. "Can we start over?" There was a simple, pleading quality to his tone. It made him sound vulnerable and that shocked her. Sky hated to show weakness or that he might have to depend on others.

"Sure."

That single word lit up his entire face. The smile that followed was one of his rare full smiles. It went all the way to his eyes with the simple knowledge that she wasn't going to hold this against him. It was so like Sky to try to take responsibility for everything that had happened.

"Do you want to go make snow angels?" he asked, slowly and with some trepidation.

She nodded. "That'd be great. Give me ten minutes to get ready."

He smiled and stood up, heading out of the room. Syd stayed still for a moment after he had left. The blue in his eyes had never been brighter.

_ To Be Continued..._


	7. Color: Sky

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**OF YOU**

By Etcetera Kit

_Color - Sky_

"Gotcha!"

Sky dodged yet another snowball. It landed on the ground behind him with a _splat!_ Syd really needed to learn how to aim – more often than not, the snowballs went far astray from their intended target. It was amusing watching her get frustrated as every one of his snowballs hit their targets while hers went astray.

"Truce!" he called, holding up his hands.

Syd glowered at him, but obligingly dropped the snow she held in her mitten. She was the only spot of color in the night. White snow was brilliantly lit by moonlight and the stars shone brightly. Street lamps cast a yellow glow over the open area outside the academy building. Syd was the only spot of color in the white landscape. Her dark pink parka with matching hat, scarf and mittens drew attention to her – and her hair looked all the more golden in the dimness.

"You need to learn how to pack a snowball," he said.

"Oh really?" She crossed her arms over her chest, looking disgruntled.

"Really," he replied. Bending down, he scooped up a handful of snow and demonstrated how to pack it into a proper snowball – consequently making it easier to throw.

Frowning, she imitated his motions and had a decent snowball. Without warning, the artful snowball smacked him in the side of the face. Wet, cold snow slid down his cheek. Syd let out a squeal and ducked for cover behind a bench. He rubbed the snow out of his face as best he could with his damp gloves.

"This is war!" he sputtered.

"Bring it on!" she taunted from behind the bench.

Ducking beside the pine tree that had been his 'base' during the initial snowball war, he quickly made a small pile of snowballs. This time she was going to pay. He wasn't going to go easy on her just because she was a girl and didn't know how to make snowballs. Lobbing a snowball upward, it sailed in a smooth arch and impacted on the top of Syd's head. She squawked indignantly.

She threw one in retaliation, but it hit the tree, some snow clinging to the bark. Sky just shook his head and threw another, getting her on the shoulder. Another snowball came flying in his direction and he was surprised to note that this one might actually hit him. An idea popped into his head and he grinned wickedly.

Pulling off his glove, he threw a force field in front of him. Syd's snowball splattered harmlessly against it.

"That's cheating!" she yelled.

He dropped the force field and pulled his glove back on, ignoring the snowballs that hit him in succession as he crossed the small open area. He sat down on the bench and peered down at Syd behind it. She grinned.

"Do you surrender?"

Sky smiled. Her eyes stood out in the frame of gold and pink around her face. He had never noticed the intense shade of her eyes before. It wasn't quite a royal blue, something someone would find in a box of crayons. It wasn't Blue Ranger blue. It was more like… cerulean blue – bright and vibrant, while also intense. Those blue eyes framed by thick lashes – it was more of a turn-on than all the other deliberate goading they had been doing for the past two weeks.

"What?" she asked, standing up and leaning over the back of the bench.

"Nothing," he replied quickly.

Syd's expression clearly said that she didn't believe him, but she didn't say anything. "Come on," she said, tugging his hand. "Let's go in. I'm cold."

He stood up and rounded the bench, pulling her close. "I think I can warm you up," he whispered huskily.

Leaning down ever so slightly, he gently pressed his lips to hers. Their first kisses had been intense, full of energy. This one was lacking that urgency, but the energy was still there – it flowed between them, building up to create tingles all over his body. He didn't want this to end, but it had to. Breathing didn't stop for anything except death.

Breaking the kiss, he leaned a forehead against hers. "Wow," he whispered.

Grinning, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his nose. "Can we go in and get some hot chocolate and continue this elsewhere?"

He allowed himself to be dragged back inside, a goofy grin on his face.

_ To Be Continued..._

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**Author's Note:** Wow... thanks to everyone who has reviewed this! The response has been amazing... 


	8. Dawn

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**OF YOU**

By Etcetera Kit

_Dawn_

He shivered, pulling his jacket tighter around himself. The night air was cold, crisp and stung his throat and lungs as he inhaled. A fresh blanket of snow covered the grounds – all around him, the world slept. Rubbing a gloved hand against the thin material of his pajama pants, he wished that he had thought to put on clothes – not grab his jacket and come out here in his pajamas. The night was slowly changing to a morning gray – dawn was soon to break.

Sunrises were something he treasured. Most of the time, he didn't get up early enough or, if he did, he was too busy completing some errand to take in the beauty of the event. The golden sun peering over the horizon and painting the sky with streaks of pink, orange and purple, like the new dawn brought new beginnings, a clean slate to start over.

Shivering again, he wrapped his arms around his middle in an attempt to warm up. This morning had been chance, waking up well before the alarm and, spur of the moment, coming out here to watch. He could feel tingles of numbness spreading through his legs – the concrete bench he sat on cold and uninviting.

"Do you always sit out here in the middle of the night – in the snow – in your pajamas?"

He turned, frowning as Syd came out of the building and stood near the bench he had chosen. She, too, was in her pajamas, her jacket wrapped around her shoulders. He could see her mittens and hat bulging from one of the pockets.

"Syd," he replied. "What are you doing here?"

She shrugged, moving to sit next to him on the bench. Her hair was in a simple ponytail and she didn't have any sort of gunk on her face. Twice before he had seen her woken up from a sound sleep. One time she had a face mask on – and the sickening shade of green had done nothing for her. The second time she had had her hair in rollers. Now, with her hair simply tied back and her face free of all accoutrements, she looked all the more stunning.

"It's cold," she whispered, her teeth chattering as she slipped her arms into her jacket. "Why are you out here?" she asked.

"Watching the sunrise," he said simply.

Syd nodded. "Sky," she whispered, shaking as she curled into a ball.

Without saying anything, he pulled her into his lap. She curled against him, fitting perfectly. Her head nestled on his shoulder. Her shivering slowly stopped as the combined body heat warmed both of them up. Lifting her slightly, he pulled his legs onto the bench, sitting cross-legged. Her breath was hot against his neck. Wrapping his arms around her, his heartbeat quickened when she let out a contented sigh.

"This is how all days should start," she said, her voice a whisper in the stillness. "With warm toes and noses."

Her breathing grew even – she was either really comfortable or dozing. He turned his gaze to the sky, slightly tightening his hold on her. The sky had started to turn gold, the sun coming up over the buildings and almost hurting his eyes. The golden globe rose slowly, bringing all the colors of dawn with it. It was breathtakingly beautiful – but the woman in his arms was even more beautiful.

Pressing a kiss to her temple, her eyes fluttered open.

"Do we have to work?"

He nodded. She wrinkled her nose. "That's not for a few hours, though."

"I wish Bridge or Z was on night shift."

"Me too."

They fell silent. The world around them was waking up and not much more time would pass before a cadet walked by. Doubtless, he or she would want to know why two of the rangers were sitting outside in their pajamas.

"Sky?"

"What, Syd?"

"Can we go inside and warm up?"

"Sure." He shifted his arms, one under her knees and the other around her shoulders. Lifting her up, he un-tucked his legs, waited a moment for some feeling to come back into them and carried her into the building. She didn't protest, just wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder.

_I love you._

He couldn't bring himself to say it aloud – not yet.

The new dawn of their relationship was enough for now.

_To Be Continued..._

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**Author's Note:** Doo dee doo... 


	9. Closer

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**Note:** While this piece as a whole is rated **T**, this chapter is rated **M**. If you fast-forward through the kissing scenes in movies, please go no further. However, for those of you that love those scenes... continue on. You have all been thusly warned.

* * *

**OF YOU**

By Etcetera Kit

_Closer_

She smiled lazily, running one finger down his chest. He watched her from underneath half-closed lids, blue eyes following the offending digit's progress. She stopped at his bellybutton, splaying her fingers and running her hand to his side, pulling him closer to her. Wrapping her arms around his neck so that their chests were pressed together, she let out a contented sigh. He laughed softly, the sound a rumbling in his chest.

"What's so funny?" she murmured against his collarbone.

"You look like a cat that ate a bird."

"That's an understatement."

"Oh?" She pulled away to see him arch one eyebrow. A smile floated over her face as she leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his lips. He responded eagerly. She knew that while, in many ways, he was stronger than her, better than her, the bedroom was one place where he was her slave. She moved one leg over his hips, effectively straddling his waist. Moving his hands over his head, she leaned down, kissing him again.

"I'm so glad you're all mine," she murmured.

"Yes," he breathed. She wasn't sure if that was an agreement to her statement or his reaction to the way her hands played down his exposed sides. "Syd," her name was a moan on his lips as he arched his back against her.

"Sky?" she asked, withdrawing her hands and giving him an expectant look.

"I love you."

"You love me or what I do to you?"

"All of the above."

Syd laughed, throwing her head back. Bringing her gaze back to him, she could fully appreciate how beautiful he was. Arms and legs rippling with muscles, defined pecs and a flat stomach… his skin smooth and soft, evenly tanned. His hair was disheveled and there was a light flush in his cheeks. With his hands over his head, he made a very sexy picture.

Becoming lovers had to be one of the easiest decisions they made. All it had taken was one afternoon when he came out of the shower shirtless and things culminated from there. For all her glamour and prestige, she had still been a virgin, the awkwardness of which was tempered by the fact that he had been as well. That hadn't surprised her – after all, he put all his energy and focus into SPD and being a ranger. Girls were a distraction. But all their awkwardness soon vanished and she made it her goal to learn all the things that drove him wild.

She could suck the pulse point in his neck or stroke the inside of his thigh and have him as instant putty in her hands, begging for release. She decided on the latter, sitting back on her heels, her hands going to his strong thighs. He shuddered as she ran her nails lightly along the insides of his thighs.

"Oh God, Syd, please," he moaned.

Moving back up his body, she pressed a kiss to his cheek, before moving so that her mouth was near his ear. "I love you too," she whispered.

His eyes widened in surprise and his hands came to her waist. "Really?"

She grinned. "Now is not the time for a philosophical discussion on this." She paused, resting her palms flat on his chest. "We can talk about it after I've brought you to the edge seven times before giving you release."

"Seven times?" He swallowed visibly.

"Hmmm," she replied, kissing his collarbone. "It's a nice round number."

In the end, she only managed four times, but felt too boneless and relaxed to continue for that night. His arms were wrapped around her, holding her close. He was everything she had ever wanted and he would protect her, if that's what she wanted. He was all hers and the knowledge gave her a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. No one else got to see him in the throes of an orgasm, screaming her name. No one else could torture her slowly while she was dominantly torturing him…

"I love you, Sky," she whispered.

"I love you too, Syd."

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** I haven't given a proper note on this in a while, so here goes. Thank you to all my loyal readers and reviewers with this piece. These drabbles have been fun to work on and a great respite from the other larger things I'm writing. I do not plan to do all forty themes. I will probably do five or so more in order to wrap this up and give it some closure. Unlike all my other pieces, I have not compulsively outlined and planned this down to the minute detail, so I've been playing it by ear. If you guys want to request a theme for me to tackle here, I shall be more than happy to consider it and probably do it. LOL. So thank you so much! 


	10. Scars

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**OF YOU**

By Etcetera Kit

_Scars_

"Sky, what is that?"

He inwardly sighed. Once they decided to become lovers, it was only a matter of time before she discovered that, before she got a good look at his back. He wasn't entirely sure what the whole scar looked like—he had never taken the time to study it. The jagged part on his shoulder he knew about, but… he had hoped that it was fading. At least it was no longer the angry red that it had been.

"A scar," he replied.

"I know that," Syd said. "But how did you get it?"

Sky let out a long breath. They were in her room—the others had decided to go on a picnic since the day was so nice, crisp and clear. He was sitting on her bed, shirtless, waiting for her to get out of the bathroom. Of course, she had been the one to take his shirt off in the first place… she was wearing a short pink silk bathrobe. He felt her come up behind him, her weight pressing into the mattress. Her hands were tracing the scar.

"Sky, babe?" she asked. Her lips grazed his shoulder.

"You remember Icthior?" he questioned softly.

"How could I forget? He damn near broke my leg." She was silent before she scooted around him on the bed, facing him. "He gave you that?"

He nodded. "I got that during the initial battle—after I was powered down, he messed up my neck, the injury everyone else saw."

"God," Syd murmured. "He must have used his saber."

"He did."

"And it penetrated your suit?"

"Yes." His voice was soft, hoarse. It was just a scar—what was he afraid of? Why didn't he want Syd to see it? What was the stigma? But he knew what it really was… weakness. He didn't want to show weakness and a scar like that—indicating he had been hit unprepared and unaware—made him feel weak.

"And you're still alive?" Syd looked towards him, her blue eyes glistening with unshed tears. "That's a miracle," she breathed, throwing her arms around his neck.

Her reaction surprised him, took his breath away. Why was she hugging him and talking about how it was a miracle he was alive? Shouldn't she be… less than pleased with his not-so masculine attack from behind, his lack of foresight and preparation? Her body was pressed to his, chest heaving against his. Her breath was hot on his neck and her fingers came up to run through his hair. He was really confused. Syd seemed to sense that, because she leaned back, frowning up at him. Her hair was in riotous golden waves and her robe was open enough to give him a spine-tingling preview of her chest.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"I… don't like to talk about that," he replied lamely.

"At least you have a decent story to go with your scar—all my scars came from me being stupid or clumsy or… something like that." She gave him a tiny smile, her shoulders hunched as the confession came out. Almost as soon as the storm came, it passed. She brightened, pulling back the sleeve of her robe and showing him a faded white scar on the inside of her upper arm. "I got that roller-skating when I was five," she said with a grin.

He didn't smile or reply, just leaned forward, pressing a light kiss to the offending spot. Syd shook her head, her gaze penetrating to his soul.

"You're still in an 'I want to sit around and brood' type of mood," she said with liberal amounts of exasperation. "If you think that a scar from Icthior is supposed to make me think you're a coward or weak or something, then, not only are you stupid, you're wrong." He opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off. "Besides, this is not the kind of mood I want you in," she continued, pouting. "But I bet I can get you in the right mood."

Sky swallowed as she leaned closer to him, her hands going to the tie on her bathrobe—all thoughts of being weak or horror at her discovering that scar were pushed out. "Besides," she whispered in his ear. "I've got some lemon massage oil I want to try out."

A few hours later and smelling distinctly of lemon, Sky stared down at Syd as she curled against him, using his shoulder as a pillow. He hadn't realized before that she loved him wholly, accepted everything about him and didn't see things from his past as faults. Instead, she looked at the here and now—the man she had to love, dominate, make love to… He should have known that Syd wouldn't see a scar as weak, since her idea of him being weak was entirely regulated to the realm of the bedroom and it mainly had to do with his inability to last through a ridiculous number of sessions at a time.

She loved him…

"Sky?"

"Hmmm?"

"You look really funny when you whimper."

… scars and all.

_To Be Continued..._

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**Author's Note:** I'm hard at work on some new pieces (mainly, my blue ranger story that is forthcoming) and, in the interim while I'm writing like a fiend and preparing for my advanced fiction workshop next semester, I'm offering updates to this! (I'm also madly backlogged on the reviews for pieces and authors I usually review... I'll be right on that.) And I'm still taking requests for drabbles to be tackled. You all know you have something you want to request so go ahead and do it! With that, I hope everyone had a great holiday season (and a happy twenty-first to me!) Thank you for the continuing support with this piece! 


	11. Green Eyed Monster

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**OF YOU**

By Etcetera Kit

_Green-Eyed Monster_

"I don't get it," Syd grumbled. "We get assigned paperwork while those two get the afternoon off?" She slammed her stack of paper on the coffee table in the common room. She had thought that their workload would lighten with the defeat of Gruumm, but, alas, no. It seemed that, since they were officially the highest-ranking squad, Cruger was giving them work that he had done himself for a long time. She didn't mind the extra work, but she did mind the afternoon off schedules… Syd was assigned with Bridge, while Sky had been paired with Z.

"We get the afternoon off tomorrow," Bridge replied mildly, unzipping his uniform jacket. It was still strange seeing him in a blue uniform. That color had been Sky's for close to a year and he had made it his own. However, she couldn't help but grin when she saw Sky's red uniform. He was still grinning about it.

"It's not that," she muttered, wanting to glare murderous daggers at Cruger.

"You wanted to be off with Sky?"

"You only know that because you're psychic."

"I don't have to be psychic to know that." Bridge gave her a sympathetic look. "Why didn't you ask Z if you could switch with her?"

There were multiple reasons for that. Syd couldn't say why she didn't ask to be switched with Z or why she hadn't asked Bridge to swap with Sky. Ordinarily, this was just their work shifts and, at first, she had thought that's all it was. Only later had she realized that this week it meant their off time too. SPD personnel were required to have two hours off during a normal work day and forty-eight consecutive hours off each week. The B-Squad generally got the same two days off, unless it was a special case. However, those two days were rarely Saturday and Sunday. But… why hadn't she asked to be switched?

What _was_ Sky planning on doing this afternoon?

As if answering her thoughts, he wandered into the common room, wearing civilian clothes. Syd inwardly approved of his fashion choice—it was an outfit of his she loved. Navy blue cashmere sweater, khaki pants… he looked really good and, as usual, he wasn't aware of it. He didn't see the female cadet who nearly tripped when he came in.

"Hey," he said, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Decided to do the paperwork in here?"

"More light that's not fluorescent," she replied. "Where are you off to?"

"Z and I are going out," he responded casually.

Syd felt her stomach clench. He was going out with Z? What were they going to be doing? He never hung out with her! She shook her head. What was she worrying about? Sky was _her_ boyfriend. Z was his friend. It was just a friend thing, especially since she and Bridge had to work this afternoon. Had this situation ever come up before?

"Oh," she said shortly, not sure what else to say. She focused her gaze on the paperwork, all too aware of Sky's frown as he moved closer to her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, grinding her teeth. "Just have fun with _Z_."

"Syd, what's going on? Are you not comfortable with—"

"No, nothing. Go on. Have fun."

Sky looked bewildered as he left the common room. Syd glared after him, not sure why his lack of anger or irritation had felt less than satisfying. He hadn't even tried to get her to talk about it, but she didn't miss the pointed gaze he exchanged with Bridge. Normally, if someone picked a fight with him, he responded. Resisting the urge to mutter to herself, she tried to focus on the paperwork, although Bridge was staring at her now.

"Syd," he said slowly. "Z doesn't like Sky—not in _that_ way."

"What way?"

"She doesn't love him like you do. All she feels for him is friendship."

"I know," she snapped.

"Z's not going to start anything. She's your friend too." He paused, looking thoughtful. "And you trust Sky, so you shouldn't be jealous about anything."

"I'm not—"

She stopped herself from finishing the statement. She wasn't sure what was going on. Perhaps she was just not in a good mood because Sky was off and she was lashing out at him. Perhaps she was just tired and cranky. Whatever the reason… she wasn't sure what any of the implications were. Was she being possessive? She did not want to turn into the type of girlfriend that couldn't handle her boyfriend spending time with others. He was just doing something on his day off and now she couldn't talk to him at all.

She'd have to talk to him when he got back.

"I don't know why it bothers me," she whispered.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, if I was you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

Syd glared at Bridge. There was definitely something no one was telling her.

_To Be Continued..._

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**Author's Note:** My web site, housing my PR fan fiction, is now up and running. Stop by and see what you think. I'm also up for some awards over at _the Syd and Sky Awards_, so head over there and vote:) With that said, thanks for the continuing support on this piece. _Green-Eyed Monster_ was suggested by two lovely people last time around and I decided to go with that. (Just like _Scars_ was suggested for the last chapter.) 


	12. Sacrifice

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**OF YOU**

By Etcetera Kit

_Sacrifice_

I just sacrificed an entire afternoon to help Sky. I'm not sure why he thinks I'll be so much help on his quest—he would have been better off dragging Bridge on this trip. Just because I room with Syd does not mean we've exchanged best friend necklaces and decided that we'll be best friends forever. Most of the time, we just put up with each other. We're not bad roommates. I guess we're the kind of roommates that can coexist without too many problems—once we drew an invisible line down the center of the room.

The mall is crowded on Saturday afternoon. I would not have braved the mall at the time of the week—ever. But it seemed to mean so much to Sky that I couldn't tell him I had planned on sitting around my room and listening to music all afternoon. I just agreed to give him a second opinion, but he had to make the actual selection. He had cheered up after that and, so far, had been in a decent mood.

He's studying a showcase in the jewelry store. I casually glance into a nearby case, taking in the necklaces. The stuff in this store is pricey. I don't know how Sky can afford any of it on an SPD salary unless he sells his soul to the jeweler (which would be a problem since he's already given his soul to Syd.) It kind of makes me wish that someone would buy me a really expensive necklace from a place like this. My fingers go to my neck, twirling the gold of my 'Z' necklace. It's the nicest thing I own and even it looks like it's been through the mill.

Sky looks up and I know he probably wants a second opinion. I tear my gaze away from the glittering, madly costly things and wander over to him. A frown graces his face. Not that a frown is unusual on him, but this one is not irritated or upset, just puzzled and deliberating. The showcase has the same type of ring—white gold—with different stones in the setting. It seems to me that he could practically custom order whatever he wanted here. However, I don't need to be told which of the rings he has his eye on.

All four of the choices are gorgeous and I know that Syd would love all of them.

Three of them have a colored stone with diamonds—a ruby, a sapphire and some kind of pink stone that I can't identify. The fourth has no diamonds, but the pink stones and a stone that is a lighter blue, not as dark as the sapphires. I don't know how he's going to pick, because there's no way I could choose between those.

"I'm thinking one of those four," he says softly.

I don't need to be told that—but its part of the way that Sky operates. He states what he means so that there can be no mistakes. His choices also speak volumes of his attachment to SPD, all the colors were either his or Syd's ranger colors.

"I definitely like the white gold," I reply.

He nods, considering that. "I was leaning more towards the rubies."

I shake my head slowly. Sky gives me his full attention. That is always a little unnerving because his stare makes me feel like I've done something wrong, although, right now, all I'm doing is helping him pick out a ring.

"Why?" he prompts.

"It's not the color you've had the longest. Syd fell for you when you were still blue." I shrug. "I'd go with either the sapphires or the one with the pink and blue things."

"Rubellite tourmaline and paraiba tourmaline?" he offers.

"That's the same kind of stone?"

"Different colors."

"Oh." I glance back at the rings. "Go with the tourmaline. Yeah, it's not a diamond or something fancier, but she'll get the significance. Besides, with both the colors, it's like tying you two together or… something," I finish lamely.

He nods thoughtfully and a hovering salesman, probably sensing a decision, hurries over and taking down details like ring size. Sky deals with the salesman and pays for the ring in cash from a billfold in his pocket. I try not to gape. Either he's been saving that for a long time or he knows someone that's loaded that isn't Syd. Sky catches the expression on my face and grins.

"I've been saving for over a year," he says in a confiding tone.

The salesman wraps up the ring, probably profusely grateful that he had a customer come in here and spend wads of cash. My gaze goes back to the necklace case that I was gazing at before helping Sky make a final decision. One necklace has a green gem with some yellow stones surrounding it.

"Citrine and green tourmaline," Sky says and I jump.

"How do you know all this?" I ask.

"I had to do some research before doing this," he replies, waving a hand vaguely around the jewelry store.

"That makes sense."

We leave the store and make our way out of the mall. I know that he saw the color scheme of what I was looking at. I'm happy for him and Syd and even happier that he wants to take the next step in their relationship, but I can't help but think of that knowing expression on his face while I looked at necklaces I'm never going to have. I wonder what he thinks he's going to do about it.

Perhaps this afternoon was worth the sacrifice.

_To Be Continued..._

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**Author's Note: **If you didn't figure it out in the first paragraph, this was from Z's POV. The little notes over at _Ars Amatoria_ talk extensively about experimenting with POV -- and with having another character observe. That seemed appropriate for this. I also wanted to do something a little different with 'sacrifice.' (And I was having trouble going a traditional route with it!) So here 'tis. With that said, I'm working on a longer, more involved piece, but I can't give a time frame yet. This semester is shaping up to be nuts... but if I managed to finish _Kings and Vagabonds_ between last spring's insanity and my summer job, not to mention the beginning of last semester, I know it can be done. Cheers! 


	13. Distraction

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**OF YOU**

By Etcetera Kit

_Distraction_

Syd blinked, trying to focus her eyes in the bright sunlight that filled the common room. Sky and Bridge were doing it again! She realized that they were best friends, had been best friends for a long time, probably before either of them considered her a friend. But this was ridiculous! How did they justify holing themselves up and avoiding the world? Well, she wasn't entirely sure that it was the world they were avoiding. Lately, it seemed to be her—Z, to a lesser extent.

What on earth did those two boys think they were doing?

She watched with mild irritation as Bridge nudged Sky and two sets of blue eyes settled on her, standing just inside the common room. They were sitting at a table near the back of the room, a map spread between them on the surface of the table and a backpack and a cooler on the floor near their feet. Both were wearing civilian clothes—jeans and work-shirts. They looked like they were about to hit a construction site. What was with the map?

It was Sky's turn to nudge Bridge. He snapped a jewelry box he was holding shut and shoved it into the backpack. Syd didn't see what size the box was, but couldn't fathom what Bridge was doing with a _jewelry box_. He didn't exactly have girls clamoring to him, unless he was finally going to tell Z about the obvious crush he'd had on her since day one. But jewelry didn't seem like a Bridge thing to buy. He'd opt more towards chocolates or stuffed animals, even clothes before he lapsed into something that serious.

The frozen moment passed and time seemed to speed up to compensate. Sky zipped up the backpack, folding the map and shoving it in his back pocket. He swung the bag onto his shoulders. Bridge picked up the cooler—one of the soft-side brands—and slung it over his shoulder. They stood up, moving purposefully.

"Where are you guys going?" Syd blurted out. Sky was still a little distant—puzzled—over the off-time incident. He wasn't mad, per se, it was more like he was distracted and had other things on his mind. What other things she didn't know.

"Out," Sky said simply.

Their shifts were by gender this week. She and Z were paired together for off-time, while Sky and Bridge were together. Tonight marked the beginning of their forty-eight consecutive hours off, but the boys had managed to get their two hours off just before the days off started. It might have something to do with Sky's Red Ranger status or the fact that Bridge could talk his way into—and out of—most objectionable situations.

"We're going to go do—ouch!"

Sky smacked Bridge's upper arm, hard. The current Blue Ranger winced, rubbing his arm and looking like he'd very much like to squawk, 'what was that for?' However, he caught the warning look that Sky shot at him and remained silent.

Her boyfriend gave her a soft smile and kiss. "We'll be back before the weekend starts," he said. He pressed one last chaste kiss to her lips and the pair disappeared down the hall. Syd stared after them, a frown on her face. They all jokingly referred to their forty-eight hours off as 'the weekend.' What were those two doing?

Reality snapped back into place and she remembered why she came here in the first place—she needed to get some bottles of water, before changing into her workout clothes and supervising the C-Squad's simulator training. She got the water and moved to her room. Cruger wanted them on time to set an example. Her room was as she had left it that morning—neat and tidy, with some of Z's mess spilling into her side.

A single pink rose with a note tied to it was on her pillow.

Automatically, she went to the flower, released the note and took in the familiar tall, slanted handwriting. _Please meet me tonight—the bridge near the duck pond._ The note was in typical Sky fashion. He always said please while asking her somewhere, not wanting to come across as demanding. That footbridge near the duck pond had always been a special place for them, despite the fact that Mirloc had captured them there. He had rescued her from falling prey to Mirloc's initial treachery, at any rate.

The day went by in a blurry haze of events. Six o'clock could not come fast enough and, when it did, she couldn't shower and change clothes in a timely enough fashion to suit her. She ended up wearing a simple denim skirt and pink tank top and putting her hair in a style that required no fuss. Her make-up was minimal. And, for once, she didn't care. She wanted to find out what that cooler and backpack and jewelry box meant!

The sun was just setting in the park when she arrived. She could see Sky standing on the bridge, gazing into the water. He had changed from the work clothes of earlier into a nicer pair of jeans and blue button-up shirt.

"Sky?" she asked, stepping onto the bridge.

"Hey," he replied, a genuine smile breaking out over his face. He closed the distance between them, cupping her face between his palms and kissing her. His kiss lingered on her lips and left her aching for so much more.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing—nothing at all."

"Schuyler…"

"Will you marry me?"

Syd stared at him, almost disbelieving the words he had just uttered. He pulled a small jewelry box from his pocket and opened it, offering the ring to her. It was white gold with pale blue and pale pink stones. Her breath caught in her throat. Tears stung her eyes. After all the madness of the past week, this was the last thing she had expected.

"Syd?" he asked, sounding unsure.

She did the only thing she could think of. She kissed him, that 'yes' flowing between them, shining golden in the sunset.

_To Be Continued..._

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**Author's Note: **So, it's been a while. I try to take one day at a time, but, lately, several days have attacked me at once. It's best to think of this drabble as part one of two. The things mentioned in the beginning will be resolved during the next drabble, "Gift." With that, thank you for reading, reviewing and supporting this piece. There's more on the horizon with a test audience right now. Cheers! 


	14. Gift

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**OF YOU**

By Etcetera Kit

_Gift_

"So what did you guys need the map for?"

Sky reached up, lifting Syd around the waist and setting her on the path once more. Coming from the other side of the pond, underneath the big bridge, had its advantages. However, he had failed to factor in the simple possibility that Syd might be wearing a short skirt and shoes inappropriate for crawling around under bridges. He could have kicked himself for that lapse in forethought—he had just asked her to marry him and he had temporarily forgotten that she liked to dress up for every occasion. But his fiancée wasn't complaining. On the contrary, she seemed pleased with the next venture of the evening.

"Remember when we used to come here as D-Level cadets to play Capture the Flag?"

"How could I forget?" Syd responded, using his arm as extra momentum to hop over a particularly large mud puddle. He wasn't sure what she was bothering for—her shoes were already ruined.

"They'd always give us a map of the park."

"Orienteering," she filled in. "Get to the point."

"Earlier today, I had the D-Level cadets out here and thought of something." He paused, remembering their first days at the academy. Almost from day one, it seemed, the three of them had been paired together. At first, he had believed that to be because, at the time, they had been the only three with civilian powers. But even then, as new recruits, the three of them worked well together—won every round of Capture the Flag Cruger sent them on. Bridge was good at tracking, able to find the opposing team's flag in a matter of minutes. Sky would come up with an attack strategy and Syd would normally run in to get the flag. Between force fields and iron fists, they had become unbeatable at the game.

"And?" Syd prompted.

"Z has got it bad for Bridge," he replied. "And Bridge has a crush on her. So I decided, with a little help, their first date could be a picnic in the park."

"Schuyler Tate, the matchmaker—I didn't know you had it in you." He rolled his eyes. "That still doesn't explain the map."

"Bridge and I found the perfect spot for the picnic—secluded, but comfortable."

"And now you're a real estate agent?"

He chose to ignore that comment. "So we set up things before tonight. And I happen to know the blind spot where we can see the date's progress."

"So now we're spying on them?"

"No—I want to see if Bridge has discovered my gift and if he'll give it to Z."

"What gift?"

Sky didn't answer, just motioned Syd to the ground. She had his shirt tied around her waist, so that she could crawl in the short skirt and not give anyone a show. He was left wearing the wife-beater he had on underneath it. She stole his clothes all the time, just not normally straight off his back. They ended up, after ranger-crawling for a few yards, in some bushes behind a few trees. Bridge and Z were already there.

"What did you buy?" Syd hissed.

"Z was eyeballing this necklace when we went to buy your ring."

"Why did you need Z there?"

"I wanted a female opinion."

"She doesn't count as a female half the time—have you seen her half of the room?"

"Syd—"

"Hush!" she commanded. Z had glanced over in their direction, a frown gracing her features. Sky felt his heart begin to pound. This _had_ been a good idea. Besides, he didn't want to watch the whole date, just make sure that the necklace got delivered. Syd wiggled closer to him, forcing him to put an arm around her. He didn't mind. After this, he had planned on going back to the academy, cooking her dinner and then… the possibilities were endless.

"I'm hungry," Syd whispered.

"I'll fix something when we get back to the academy."

"Not a chance. We're going out and my father is treating us."

That meant she was going to put the bill on the credit card that her father footed the bill for. The thing was supposed to be fore emergencies, but Syd had no problem calling her father and requesting permission to put certain charges on it… like dinners out.

"Like this?" he asked, indicating that they were both covered in dirt, grass stains and sweat. Not to mention the mud that coated their shoes and the bits of leaves in her hair.

"Yes," she retorted. "You're the one that dragged me out here. Besides, I'm sure the restaurants have seen worse than this."

The places she had in mind would blanche, but would keep quiet about it, seeing as she was Sydney Drew, daughter of Glenn Drew and no one wanted to be on his black list. Sky remembered his first meeting with her father. He had been expecting a no-nonsense business man, who spoiled his daughter, but, instead, he got a warm, loving father that was genuinely interested in his daughter's life, especially in her boyfriend.

"Look, look! He found it!" Syd nudged him.

Sky watched as Bridge pulled the jewelry box from the backpack and stared at it in confusion, before finding his note. The former Green Ranger crumpled up the note and shoved it in his pocket, before offering the gift to Z.

"That's so romantic!" Syd sighed as they extracted themselves from the hiding place and found the path through the park once more. She gave him a critical look. "You are one weird man, you know that, right?"

"I've been told," he replied dryly.

"Besides," she continued, in that split second moving off the subject of Bridge and Z and back onto the subject of them. "Daddy will be so happy. We could stop by his office and tell him—he works late Tuesdays."

"Like this?"

"We've already had this discussion," she said in a patient tone of voice. "No one will care—besides you, that is. I'll just tell Daddy we were helping out a friend."

"Our gift to him?"

"Exactly."

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note: **Now it's down the counting on one hand and not using all my fingers... stay tuned! 


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